Tuesday, 26 November 2013

Wingers’ return to form crucial for derby

There couldn’t really be a more timely return to form of
Kevin Mirallas and Steven Pienaar than this Saturday’s Merseyside derby. The
Belgian attacker has been below par so far this season and hasn’t delivered the
standards he did last season. Likewise, since returning from injury, Steven
Pienaar has looked out of sorts and they need to get their acts together for
Everton to have a good chance of beating Liverpool.

The Liverpool defence doesn’t let in too many goals at the
moment and with Everton having failed to score in their last 2 games, something
needs to change in Everton’s play. They need an added sparkle and an extra
threat that they haven’t had during their games against Tottenham and Crystal
Palace. Otherwise the Blues may be a bit too easy to predict and nullify.

Mirallas in particular needs to step up to the plate and
deliver because so far this season he has failed to do so generally. Last
season he tore Liverpool apart in the first half of the Goodison derby before
being forced off injured. He played on the left and was fantastic. He needs to
find that sort of drive and confidence in himself in time for the derby. Not
only will it benefit him, but also the likes of Lukaku who would be on the end
of what is hopefully much improved wing play.

Steven Pienaar has a little less pressure on him for me but
he has surprised me over the last couple of games I’ve seen him in (Aston Villa
and Tottenham). He was pushed off the ball surprisingly easily a fair few times
and often wasteful in possession. He struggled to have an impact, particularly
at Villa and I think he looks rusty and perhaps not quite ready. He doesn’t
seem himself. To his credit, he always keeps going and keeps probing and trying
to create but he just looks poor at the moment.

Those wide areas are key for Everton; so often Everton’s
best attacks have come from using the ball well out wide and it has been one of
their best assets in recent years that they create so much from out wide. I
wonder if Roberto Martinez’s new style of play has taken that away a bit,
perhaps his passing ethos doesn’t incorporate sticking to one of the team’s
main strengths as much- crossing the ball.

I agree with the pass and move philosophy but not it coming at
the expense of one of your main strengths. I believe you can have both. The
wide players need more license than they seem to be getting to demonstrate good
wing play; crossing the ball more regularly (especially when you have a striker
like Lukaku in the box as a real aerial threat) and perhaps dribbling at
defenders more, which is maybe why we are yet to see the high standards of last
season from Mirallas and Coleman.

Whatever the case, Everton must improve out wide if they are
to have a good chance of beating Liverpool, especially when you consider how
shaky defensively the Liverpool full-backs are. Everton, of course, have the
ability to win this game. There isn’t much between the two teams, but the wide
play must improve for Everton. The form isn’t there currently but the ability
certainly is.